A Second Evaluation of the Speaking Fundamental Frequency Characteristics of Post-Adolescent Girls

Normative data on the speaking fundamental frequency characteristics (SFF) of 467 post-adolescent girls are presented—160 from the present study combined with 307 from previous research by Michel, Hollien and Moore (the two groups were combined to provide a representative experimental population). The mean fundamental frequencies for the three age groups studied were found to be 215.7, 213.9 and 211.5 c.p.s. respectively. These data are in general agreement with those of similar studies for other age groups and would indicate that most girls probably (1) undergo voice change before the fifteenth year and (2) attain reasonably stable adult voices during the immediate post-pubescent period.